Why can Lithium batteries from other manufacturers charge at higher voltages than Discover batteries?

Dear Discover Battery,

I've used 12V lithium batteries in the past, and these batteries allowed charging at up to 15 V. I am now using the Discover Lithium Professional 12V battery, and the maximum charge voltage is 14.6 V. Why is its performance poorer?

Answer:

First of all, Discover Lithium batteries are set up to maximize performance and safety. As a result, protections are built-in to limit voltage. The protection should not be considered an indicator of battery performance.

Discover Lithium batteries are engineered to adhere to the highest safety standards. Discover Lithium batteries are either UL1973 certified or designed to follow UL1973, which is the standard created specifically for batteries. Following UL standards ensures Discover batteries are thoroughly tested by an independent authority, which reduces the likelihood of performance and safety issues.

Included with UL1973 is overvoltage protection at the specified charge voltage of 14.6 V. If the batteries you used in the past allowed charging at up to 15 V, they may not have used a Battery Management System (BMS) to protect the battery from adverse conditions. As a result, they were probably not UL1973 certified and, therefore, not thoroughly tested for safety by an independent third party to protect the battery from unsafe conditions.

Solution:

If you have controls to reduce the voltage output, please do so.

NOTE, be aware that overvoltage protection could cause a voltage spike for any loads connected to the circuit when the protection stops the electrical flow. Add fuses to protect any expensive electronics that are connected.